Brother, Am I Cute? [EN]: Chapter 157

Hyung, Am I Cute? – Episode 157 (157/500)

I sent the completed design files.

The modification of the files for the pop-up book will take one day.

Printing, coating, cover wrapping (a paper box that is assembled and cannot be folded).

That takes another two days, totaling three days.

So, it will be completed in about three days.

Time passed, and the pop-up book was delivered to the house in boxes.

“Wow! Siha, look. There are so many boxes.”

Ten boxes were brought into the house.

Each box contained 50 books.

“Hyung! Book!”

“Yes. It’s a book Siha made.”

I took a book out of the box and handed it to Siha.

Because Siha should be the first one to open it.

He opened it wide.

A dragonfly illustration popped out.

“Ah! Hyung! Pepe!”

“Yes. It’s Pepe Dragonfly.”

“Hyung. This.”

Siha handed me the book to read.

We both know the content.

But reading it as a pop-up book was different.

Siha seemed to know that.

“Then, shall I read it for you?”

“Ah!”

I held Siha in my arms and opened the book.

“Pepe Dragonfly lived in that wide field. Pepe Dragonfly flew around and said,”

“I want to become a soccer player in this wide field!”

“That’s when it happened. Other dragonflies who heard those words gathered.”

“Yes! Let’s play soccer too.”

“That’s how a team was formed right away.”

I turned to the next page.

Eleven Pepe Dragonflies were positioned in their respective positions.

The different heights at which they popped out gave it a more three-dimensional feel.

“The soccer game began. They kicked the soccer ball in the sky. And they shot.”

“Whoosh!”

Next page.

There is one goalpost.

Long poles are erected, and there is a circular net.

It was reminiscent of a dragonfly net.

“The soccer ball transforms once more to enter the goal.”

“Phew!”

When I pulled down the straight piece of paper attached to the soccer ball, it turned into a penguin.

The Pepe Pillbug, who is working as a soccer ball, stretches out and heads towards the goal.”

The penguin crouching was the soccer ball.

Siha insists that it’s a pillbug.

Honestly, it just looked like a penguin with soccer ball fur patterns.

“Goal in~ Goal! Goal! It’s a goal!”

“But the joy was short-lived. They soon conceded a goal. But there is still time left. There are always opportunities.”

Next page.

“There isn’t much time left. So, the Pepe Dragonfly team decided to use their special move.”

“Transform!”

“They gathered all their energy into one Pepe Dragonfly.”

I had Siha pull a strip to the side.

The Pepe Dragonfly went into the slit of the cut paper, and a new picture popped out.

Red Pepe Dragonfly.

In short, it was based on the red dragonfly.

Of course, in my eyes, it was a penguin with red fur.

“Ah! Hyung!”

Siha was very excited.

It seems like he’s impressed by the transformation every time he pulls it.

If you put the strip back in, it returns to its pre-transformation state.

If you pull the strip, it returns to its post-transformation state.

He kept repeating it, amazed that his drawing was changing like this.

He stayed on that page for a while and then turned to the next page.

“That’s how the Pepe Dragonfly team won by firing a fire shot. Gathering everyone’s strength became a very big force. The end!”

“Ah!”

“Siha, there’s still one page left.”

“Huh?”

Siha tilted his head.

I turned one more page.

Some letters floated above the book.

[Siha.pepe]

The author’s name was written there.

It’s the Sihapepe name logo design that I commissioned separately.

“This is the name Sihapepe. How is it? Do you like it?”

“Siha. Pepe?”

“Yes. Siha and Pepe. Have you ever seen these letters when uploading to Pixiv [online art community]? It’s Siha’s pen name.”

“Pen?”

“Ahaha. Just think of it as Siha and Pepe’s names written side by side.”

“Ah.”

“It’s English. English.”

“Siha ara [knows]. English!”

“Then, besides ‘I like chicken,’ what else can you say? Ah! Besides ‘Hi, bye-bye’.”

“Book!”

“Ah, not book.”

When I said this, Siha started to think.

It seems like he can’t think of anything new because I blocked all the words he knows.

I should teach him the English word for dragonfly today.

It’s like learning a new word.

That’s when it happened.

“Ah! Ah!”

“Why? Did you think of something?”

“Ah! Sa! Sa! Sa!”

“Huh? 4 isn’t English?”

“Four dollar!!”

“Cough. Ah, I didn’t block this…….”

I thought I had blocked everything, but I didn’t even think there would be something I didn’t block.

Maybe his memory is better than mine?

“Hyung.”

“Yes. Good job. Good job.”

“Hyung. Red isseo [there is].”

“That’s right. There’s red too. Siha is smart?”

“Siha. Hyung likeu [likes]! Chicken!”

“Does that mean Siha likes Hyung?”

“Ah.”

“But why did you add chicken?”

“Masisseo [delicious].”

“Uh…. It’s delicious.”

Hyung has become ‘likes chicken,’ but it doesn’t matter.

The grammar will be studied later.

But let’s correct it once.

“In that case, you say, ‘Siha likeu Hyung’.”

“Siha likeu! Hyung chicken!”

“No. Take out the chicken…….”

“Red chicken!”

All the words he knew were mobilized.

I hope he doesn’t call red dragonflies ‘red pepper paste dragonflies’ later.

“Okay! Shall we go earn some chicken money now?”

“Ah!”

***

I went outside and loaded two boxes into the trunk.

I’m thinking of going around bookstores today.

Siha decided to come along too.

I wonder if it’s okay to skip daycare this often.

“Hyung. This.”

“Huh? Ah! That’s Siha’s. Siha should have one.”

Siha looks cute as he holds out the book he was reading.

But it’s already been read once, so it’s a used book.

“Let’s go to the bookstore now.”

“Where?”

“Yes. A bookstore is a place that sells books. People go there often.”

“Why?”

“To buy books? Then let’s go.”

“Ah.”

I headed to the bookstore with Siha.

The first place to go is [Chaek Innayu] [Sounds like ‘Check it out’].

It’s a sign that feels like ‘check it out’.

I taught Siha the name after seeing the sign in front of the bookstore.

“Cheki-rau~ Cheki-rau~”

“Puh-huh. It’s not that, it’s [Chaek Innayu]. Let’s go in.”

“Ah!”

As we entered, the owner greeted us.

“Welcome.”

“Yes, hello. I came here through an introduction from Manager Hong Jin-soo of KI Media.”

“Ah! I received a call. Haha. It’s been a while since I received such an interesting call.”

“What did you hear?”

“Ah. He said a match-selling young man would come to sell books, so please take care of him. Haha.”

Then shouldn’t he be called a book-selling young man instead of a match-selling young man?

The owner laughed heartily and said.

“But he told me to evaluate it very coldly and buy it.”

“Haha. I see. Ah! This is it.”

At that moment, Siha suddenly came out from my legs and said.

“Cheki-rau~ Cheki-rau~”

The owner burst out laughing.

“Yes. I have to check it.”

“Anya [no]. Chaeki-nayu. Chaeki-nayu.”

“Ah! ‘Is there a book?’ You’re saying our bookstore’s name? I misunderstood.”

The owner glanced at me and scratched his head.

The atmosphere became cozy.

It was Siha’s nice assist.

But I don’t know if I can earn chicken money today.

Anyway, that’s up to me.

“Oh! It’s good.”

“Thank you.”

“Haha. A penguin is a dragonfly. The soccer ball is also a penguin. It’s all penguins, so the kids will like it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This cover looks good too.”

“Oh! Do you think it will sell well?”

“This will sell. It’s cute. The content is simple, but the setting is unique. A dragonfly net is a goalpost. Your imagination is really good.”

“Haha.”

I straightened my shoulders.

This is Siha’s imagination class.

Of course, I made the transformation and story composition, but.

Anyway, I became elated at Siha’s praise.

Okay, shall we start?

“I think the same way. I’m sure it will work for kids. Because kids can’t live without characters. Even looking at clothes, character clothes sell far better.”

“Haha. I guess so.”

“Even if it’s this cute, they won’t buy it? That can’t be. If the owner recommends it well, I think we can easily sell about ten copies.”

“Hmm. You’re seeing me for the first time today.”

“I’m seeing you for the first time, but Hong Jin-soo isn’t.”

“Haha.”

The owner laughed as if it was interesting.

I took out my phone.

It’s not like there are no elements to persuade.

In fact, looking at the atmosphere, he seemed like he would just buy it.

“Here is where the writer Sihapepe uploads. He has quite a lot of followers, right?”

“Sihapepe?”

“Yes. If you look at the last page of the book, it says Sihapepe.”

“Oh! It does?”

“And this book is very valuable because only 500 copies were made.”

“Are you not planning to print more?”

“Yes. I’m not planning to print more of the first edition yet. It’s very unique.”

Until just now, he had a face that said he would buy about ten copies for the wonderful young people.

But now, his gaze has changed to one of great desire.

He was literally hooked.

But it’s not over here.

“Even the emoticons sold a lot.”

“Emoticons?”

“Yes. These emoticons right here. The settlement amount for the first month is about 10 million won [approximately $7,500 USD]? Then you know the sales are even higher, right?”

“Wow.”

“Moving emoticons will be released in the future, and there will be series too. How is it? It’s not like kids don’t know the character at all. Of course, adults may know it more than kids.”

“That’s right.”

The owner nodded.

I clenched my fist inside.

“With this much, the character has enough potential and will gain popularity. If it doesn’t sell, you can sell it to adults. It’s writer Sihapepe, after all.”

“But it doesn’t seem that well known?”

“How long will it not be well known? Even if they don’t know the name, they remember the character. It’s definitely not a loss.”

“Hmm.”

My story ends here.

There’s no need to force it anymore.

Looking at the atmosphere, he’s almost completely 넘어왔다 [ 넘어왔다 (neomeowatda) – 넘어오다 (neomeo-oda) means ‘to come over’, but in this context, it means ‘to be won over’].

Let’s bounce it once.

“If you buy about ten, it won’t be a burden. The pop-up book itself isn’t that expensive.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

“The unit price is 3,000 won [approximately $2.25 USD]. We have to earn chicken money too, so the amount sold to the bookstore is.”

At that time, Siha raised his hand.

“4 dollar!”

“Ahaha. Yes. I think 4,600 won [approximately $3.45 USD] would be appropriate. No. I’ll give you 4,000 won [approximately $3.00 USD] for the mood.”

From the beginning, I didn’t intend to make much profit.

The reason I made this was because of the event at Kangin University.

I was planning to sell it for 3,000 won, which is the cost price, on that day.

Anyway, if you sell 10 copies at the bookstore, it’s 40,000 won [approximately $30 USD].

It’s not that burdensome of a price for the owner either.

If other new books are brought in and there is inventory left, it will be a burden.

“How is it?”

“What is there to 고민할 [gominhal – to hesitate]? I’ll buy it.”

“Thank you. 10 copies, right?”

“No. Give me about 50 copies. I’ll buy them all.”

I smiled inside.

‘I got him.’

It seemed like I had earned enough money to have a chicken party today.

When I told Siha that the 아저씨 [ajeossi – a respectful term for an older man] bought a lot.

“Ajji!”

“Huh?”

“Tto okke [more, give]!”

“Puhahat!”

It seems like I have a bookstore where I can get chicken money on a regular basis.

***

I went around the remaining 9 bookstores.

Everyone looked positively at the young passion(?).

Anyway, it’s passion.

After selling like that, 300 copies disappeared.

Now, all I have to do is sell well at the Kangin University flea market this weekend.

“Siha, you can hold this. Can you hold it?”

I handed Siha a box containing 10 books.

“Ah.”

“Now Siha can sell this. You saw what Hyung did today, right?”

“Hyung! Meosisseo [cool]! Box. Pabak [sell]. Ajji. Don pabak [sell money].”

“Yes. That’s right. But if you say that to the person selling, they won’t understand?”

“Huh?”

Siha tilted his head.

I don’t know if he can really sell it well.

I can’t help it.

I picked up my phone and sent an emergency call.

With this, there will be no way to not sell it at all.

After all, business is business with acquaintances!